Connector and side board for combination cabinet

ABSTRACT

The present invention illustrates a connector and a side board for a combination cabinet. The connector has a plurality of division plates disposed at an end thereof and in parallel with each other to form a plurality of insertion slots which each can be inserted by a corner of the side board for the combination cabinet. At least one insertion slot has a positioning hole formed at a side of an inner edge thereof and in communication therewith, and the positioning hole has an inner diameter greater than that of the insertion slot. The corner of the side board for the combination cabinet is formed with a lager-diameter section and a smaller-diameter section crossed with each other, and the lager-diameter section of the corner can be engaged into the positioning hole.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connecting structure of a combination cabinet, and more particularly to a connector having a simple structure and providing a laterally positioning effect, and a side board for the combination cabinet.

2. Description of Related Art

Please refer to FIGS. 19 and 20. A conventional connector 61 for a combination cabinet includes a plurality of division plates 62 disposed at an end thereof and in parallel with each other to form a plurality of insertion slots 63 which each can be inserted by a corner 72 of a side board 71 for the combination cabinet. Upon actual usage requirement, the user can respectively insert the side boards 71 into the insertion slots 63 in various directions to combine different types of the combination cabinets.

The two opposite inner sidewalls of each insertion slot 63 of the conventional connector 61 are parallel with each other, and the insertion slot 63 has an inner diameter slightly smaller than an outer diameter of the corner 72 of the side board 71, such that the corner 72 of the side board 71 can be inserted into the insertion slot 63 by tight fit to combine the connector 61 and the side board 71 together. However, the conventional connector 61, which is combined with the connector 61 by tight fit, cannot effectively provide a laterally positioning effect on the side board 71 in actual use, and it causes that the side board 71 is easy to be displaced toward an opening of the insertion slot 63 while being pushed by a lateral force. It is obvious that the positioning effect of combination between the conventional connector 61 and the side board 71 is still not good enough.

SUMMARY

An objective of present invention is to provide a connector and a side board for a combination cabinet, and the connector has a simple structure and an effect of effectively preventing the side board from being laterally displaced.

Other objective of the present invention is to provide a connector and a side board for a combination cabinet, and the connector can be combined with different fittings to provide versatile functions.

To achieve the objectives, the present invention provides a connector for a combination cabinet. The connector has a plurality of division plates disposed at an end thereof and parallel to each other to form a plurality of insertion slots, and each insertion slot can be inserted by a corner of a side board for the combination cabinet.

At least one insertion slot has a positioning hole formed at a side of an inner edge thereof and in communication therewith, and an inner diameter of the positioning hole is larger than that of the insertion slot. The corner of the side board is formed with a lager-diameter section and a smaller-diameter section crossed with each other, and the lager-diameter section of the corner of the side board can be engaged in the positioning hole correspondingly.

In order to further understand the techniques, means and effects of the present disclosure, the following detailed descriptions and appended drawings are hereby referred, such that, through which, the purposes, features and aspects of the present disclosure can be thoroughly and concretely appreciated; however, the appended drawings are merely provided for reference and illustration, without any intention to be used for limiting the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that a corner of a side board is longitudinally inserted into an insertion slot.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a usage status of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that two side boards both are respectively inserted into two opposite insertion slots of the connector.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a usage status of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that sliding track members are respectively inserted and mounted on two opposite inner sidewalls of the combined cabinet.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of assembling the sliding track member with the connector of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a structural schematic view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 8 through 11 are structural schematic views of the connectors having different shapes, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a structural schematic view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a usage status of the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 14 through 18 are cross-sectional schematic views of a part of the side board of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is an exploded view of a conventional connector for a combination cabinet.

FIG. 20 is an elevational view of the conventional combination cabinet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

Please refer to FIG. 1. A first embodiment of the present invention provides a connector 11 for a combination cabinet, and the connector 11 includes a plurality of division plates 12 disposed at an end thereof and in parallel with each other to form a plurality of insertion slots 13 toward different directions. Each insertion slot 13 can be inserted by a corner 22 of a side board 21 for the combination cabinet.

In this embodiment, a cross-section of an end of the connector 11 is circle-shaped, and each insertion slot 13 has a positioning hole 14 formed at a side of an inner edge thereof and in communication therewith. An inner diameter of the positioning hole 14 is larger than that of the insertion slot 13. The side board 21 is made of plastic material by injection molding to form a board-shaped object. The corner 22 of the side board 21 for the combination cabinet is formed with a lager-diameter section 221 and a smaller-diameter section 222 crossed with each other, the outer diameter of the lager-diameter section 221 matches with the inner diameter of the positioning hole 14, and the outer diameter of the smaller-diameter section 222 matches with an inner diameter of the insertion slot 13. When the side board 21 is laterally combined with the connector 11, the lager-diameter section 221 of the corner 22 of the side board 21 is engaged into the positioning hole 14 and the smaller-diameter section 222 is received in the insertion slot 13 correspondingly, thereby combining the side board 21 and the connector 11 for the combination cabinet.

Please refer to FIG. 2. After the connector 11 and the side board 21 are combined with each other by the structures described above, the lager-diameter section 221 of the corner 22 of the side board 21 is engaged into the positioning hole 14 of the insertion slot 13 and the inner diameter of the insertion slot 13 in communication with the positioning hole 14 is smaller than that of the positioning hole 14, so a lateral part of the lager-diameter section 221 can be blocked by the inner edge of the insertion slot 13 to prevent the side board 21 from being displaced to escape from the connector 11 while the side board 21 is applied by a lateral force.

Please refer to FIG. 3. Each insertion slot 13 of the connector 11 of the present invention includes the positioning hole 14. Even if the side board 21 is longitudinally inserted into the insertion slot 13 of the connector 11 disposed in longitudinal direction, the lateral part of the lager-diameter section 221 of the corner 22 of the side board 21 for the combination cabinet can be blocked by the inner edge of the corresponding insertion slot 13, so the side board 21 can also be prevented from being displaced to escape from the insertion slot 13. Therefore, the user can insert the side boards 21 into the insertion slots 13 in various directions respectively to combine different types of combination cabinets, upon practical demand.

Please refer to FIG. 4. In this embodiment, an outer periphery of the side board 21 is enclosed by a covering material 23, and the covering material 23 has a blocking edge 231 protruded outwardly from a side thereof. When the two side boards 21 both are inserted into two opposite insertion slots 13 of the connector 11, the blocking edges 231 of the side boards 21 for the combination cabinet can block a space between the two side boards 21, so that no clearance exists between the two side boards 21 and a dust-proof effect of the combination cabinet can be effectively improved.

Please refer to FIGS. 5 and 6. After the plurality of connectors 11 and the plurality of side board 21 are combined to form a cabinet, two sliding track members 31 can be further respectively inserted and mounted on two opposite inner sidewalls of the cabinet. Each sliding track member 31 has a chute 32 formed on a side thereof and an insertion part 33 formed at opposite side thereof. The chute 32 has a U-shaped cross-section, and the insertion part 33 can be inserted into the insertion slot 13 and the positioning hole 14 of the connector 11 correspondingly. A shape of the insertion part 33 matches with that of the insertion slot 13 and the positioning hole 14 of the connector 11 for the combination cabinet. By means of inserting the insertion part 33 into the insertion slot 13 and the positioning hole 14 of the connector 11, the sliding track members 31 can be respectively fastened on two opposite inner sidewalls of the cabinet, and a box 41 having a lip 42 can be slid in the chutes 32 of the sliding track members 31, thereby completing a drawer slidable along the chutes 32 of the sliding track members 31.

Please refer to FIG. 7 which shows a second embodiment of the present invention. A difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the cross-section of the end of the connector 11 of the second embodiment is square-shaped. Similarly, in the second embodiment, each insertion slot 13 has the positioning hole 14 at a side of the inner edge thereof and in communication therewith, and the inner diameter of the positioning hole 14 is larger than that of the insertion slot 13, and the corner 22 of the side board 21 for the combination cabinet is formed with a lager-diameter section 221 and a smaller-diameter section 222 crossed with each other, so that the lager-diameter section 221 can be inserted into the positioning hole 14 correspondingly and the side board 21 can be laterally blocked from being lateral displaced. It should be noted that the shape of the connector 11 of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and the cross-section of the end of the connector 11 can be cross-shaped, T-shaped, L-shaped or bar-shaped upon different assembly requirement, as shown in FIGS. 8 through 11. Various connectors which use the structural features to prevent the side board 21 from being laterally displaced, are all consequently viewed as being embraced by the scope of the present disclosure.

Please refer to FIGS. 12 and 13 which show a third embodiment of the present invention, respectively. The difference between the first embodiment and the third embodiment is that the connector 11 of the third embodiment has a pivot hole 15. A sidewall of the pivot hole 15 is flattened along a straight line not reaching a center line of the pivot hole 15 and the pivot hole 15 is semicircle-shaped. An inner diameter of the pivot hole 15 matches with the outer diameter of the lager-diameter section 221 of the corner 22 of the side board 21, so the lager-diameter section 221 of the corner 22 of the side board 21 for the combination cabinet can be engaged with the pivot hole 15 corresponding thereto, and the side board 21 can be pivotally swung about the pivot hole 15, thereby completing a door panel structure capable of being opened and closed.

In addition, the side board 21 of the present invention made of plastic material by injection molding has advantages of simple production process, fast production speed and low cost, and further provides a considerable degree of anti-bending effect and a proper structural strength, so that the side board 21 can withstand a combining and pushing pressure from one another when the side boards 21 and the connectors 11 are combined together. Therefore, the side boards 21 can be connected with one another continuously to form an enclosed shape or a board shape, and it is convenient for the user to assemble the combination cabinet for placing an object.

Alternatively, other than the circular shape shown in FIG. 14, the shape of the section of the lager-diameter section 221 of the side board 21 can be a rectangle as shown in FIG. 15, or a wedge as shown in FIG. 16. By means of the design that the lager-diameter section 221, in one of these shapes, has an outer diameter slightly larger than a thickness of the side board 21, and the positioning hole 14 of the connector 11 also has a shape matching with the section of the lager-diameter section 221, so that the lager-diameter section 221 of the side board 21 for the combination cabinet can be securely engaged in the positioning hole 14 of the connector 11.

Please refer to FIGS. 16 through 18. In order to improve the structural strength and the anti-bending effect of the larger-diameter section 221, a bar 2 is placed in a mold at a location corresponding to the larger-diameter section 221 before the plastic injection molding for producing the side board 21, and the plastic material is then injected into the mold to form a board-shaped object, so that the larger-diameter section 221 encloses the bar 2, as shown in FIGS. 16 through 18. An extension direction of the bar 2 is the same as an axial direction of the larger-diameter section 221, and the bar 2 is harder than the larger diameter section 221. In this embodiment, the bar 2 is made of metal to effectively increase the structural strength of the larger diameter section 221.

The above-mentioned descriptions represent merely the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, without any intention to limit the scope of the present disclosure thereto. Various equivalent changes, alternations or modifications based on the claims of present disclosure are all consequently viewed as being embraced by the scope of the present disclosure. 

1. A connector for a combination cabinet, having a plurality of division plates disposed at an end thereof and parallel with each other to form a plurality of insertion slots, and each of the plurality of insertion slots configured to be inserted by a corner of a side board for the combination cabinet, wherein at least one of the plurality of insertion slots has a positioning hole formed at a side of an inner edge thereof and in communication therewith, and an inner diameter of the positioning hole is larger than that of the insertion slot.
 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of insertion slots has the positioning hole formed at the side of the inner edge thereof and in communication therewith, and the inner diameter of the positioning hole is larger than that of the insertion slot.
 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of a lager-diameter section of the corner of the side board matches with the inner diameter of the positioning hole, an outer diameter of a smaller-diameter section of the corner of the side board matches with the inner diameter of the insertion slot, so that while the side board and the connector are combined with each other, the lager-diameter section of the corner of the side board is engaged in the positioning hole and the smaller-diameter section is received in the insertion slot.
 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein an outer periphery of the side board is enclosed by a covering material which has a blocking edge protruded outwardly from a side edge thereof, and when two side boards both are respectively inserted into the two opposite insertion slots, the blocking edges of the two side boards block a space between the two side boards.
 5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a cross-section of an end of the connector is circle-shaped, square-shaped, cross-shaped, T-shaped, L-shaped, or bar-shaped.
 6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of connectors and the plurality of side boards are respectively combined with each other to form a cabinet, and sliding track members are respectively inserted and mounted on two opposite inner sidewalls of the cabinet, each of the sliding track members has a chute formed at a side thereof and an insertion part formed at opposite side thereof, the insertion part is inserted into the insertion slot and the positioning hole of the connector correspondingly and has a shape matching with the insertion slot and the positioning hole.
 7. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a pivot hole which has a sidewall flattened along a straight line not reaching a center line thereof and is semicircle-shaped, wherein an inner diameter of the pivot hole matches with the outer diameter of the lager-diameter section of the corner of the side board, and while the lager-diameter section of the corner of the side board is engaged with the pivot hole, the side board is pivotally swingable about the pivot.
 8. A side board, applied with the connector of claim 1 for the combination cabinet, wherein the side board is made of plastic material by injection molding and board-shaped, a corner of the side board is formed with a lager-diameter section and a smaller-diameter section crossed with each other, and the lager-diameter section of the side board is configured to be inserted in the positioning hole of the connector correspondingly, to make the side board and the connector be engaged with each other securely.
 9. The side board according to claim 8, wherein the lager-diameter section of the side board encloses a bar which has an extension direction the same as an axial direction of the lager-diameter section.
 10. The side board according to claim 9, wherein the bar is harder than the lager-diameter section, and configured to improve an anti-bending effect of the lager-diameter section to prevent the lager-diameter section from being easily broken while being bent. 